Recently, in reflection of the needs for high-speed communication and compact communication devices, there have been increasing demands for a lens array in which a plurality of lenses are disposed, as an optical component that is effective for achieving a multi-channel optical communication in a compact configuration.
Conventionally, an optoelectric converting device including a plurality of light emitting elements (e.g., VCSEL: Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser) and a plurality of optical fibers have been able to be attached to the lens array of this kind.
In addition, the lens array has been capable of performing a multi-channel optical communication by optically coupling light emitted from each light emitting element of the optoelectric converting device to an end surface of each of the plurality of optical fibers in such a state that the lens array is disposed between the optoelectric converting device and the optical fibers.
Further, among the lens arrays of this type, there have been lens arrays including a reflection surface in optical paths of light from light emitting elements, as set forth in PTLS 1 to 3, for example.